THE plot of the original 892 Ivanov Petipa Nutcracker, adapted from a Hoffman story, is slight, with Act 2 little more than divertissements, so many choreographers today create more elaborate versions to the wellknown Tchaikovsky score and nearly every company has a different one. The version by Alexander Sokolov, artistic director of the Ukrainian State Ballet, seen at the Olympia Theatre last night, was further removed from the original than any I have seen, other than complete contemporary re workings, such as The Hard Mat.

The famous classical Act 2 pas de deux for the Nutcracker Prince and Clara or the Sugar Plum Fairy, according to the version of the story used, is here abandoned for a contemporary dance expressing their feelings for one another, which seems perverse when the roles are danced by two such fine classical dancers as Evgeny Serdeshnov and Elena Dobrovina. The Mirlitons are replaced by butterflies and it was a relief to find straight forward Spanish, Chinese and Russian dances. But it was the first act which lost me, since it bore no more resemblance to the plot summary in the programme than it did to the original,

The confusion was not helped by the fact that the Stahlbaums' party for Young Clara is here in fancy dress, making it hard to distinguish between ordinary guests and the life size toy presents and mice, though it made a colourful scene around the Christmas tree. With the hard working dancers doubling roles, two different dancers as Clara (adult and child) and the fact that the Nutcracker is traditionally danced by a woman, until he is transformed into a prince, the whispered queries from young voices were not surprising.

That said, these are all splendid dancers, with Giselle principals giving marvellous performances in lesser roles, such as Vadim Kurgaev as the Mouse King.